Book DescriptionA good-natured lion is misunderstood by the rest of the jungle animals because of his loud, growling voice. He pads up to a pool of water one day and, bending to drink, sees his reflection on its surface. He gasps at the fierce creature staring back at him and is too frightened to drink. Just as the lion sees himself in the water, children can see themselves in him. They can use him as an example to learn to deal positively with fears and inhibitions that so often arise from situations they as yet may not understand.Ages 3 - 8 ーーーーーーAmazonサイトより

From Publishers WeeklyAs intricately worked as a patchwork quilt, de Marcken's (Born to Pull) fanciful watercolors are the highlight of this somewhat pedestrian fable. Rich but dissatisfied, a king demands a quilt from a gifted quiltmaker, but she refuses unless he gives away all his material possessions. The irate monarch twice attempts to punish her but both times she foils him. Finally he agrees to her demand, growing progressively happier with each thing that he gives away. Brumbeau's overlong tale treads a well-worn trail here, hampered by bursts of overwrought prose ("the king's great sunny laugh made green apples fall and flowers turn his way"). The artwork achieves a dizzying, quilted look with lush full-page illustrations in cotton-candy colors sharing a spread with saucy vignettes; "the king could not sleep" for instance, inspires a droll four-panel peek at the restless fellow tossing and turning in bed. De Marcken pays homage at every turn to the quiltmaker's craft. Each section of text appears on a plain cream "block" with stitching around the edges, and the endpapers sport an array of labeled quilt patterns. Ages 4-8.

内容説明A boy seeks and eventually finds his own name and is able to discard an old dream for a new and wonderful one.Among the many insights that this story introduces to children is the idea that it takes patience and resolve to achieve one's goals in life.Beautiful watercolor illustrations by Mona Caron embellish this unusual story.Ages 3 - 8 ーーーーーーAmazonサイトより

内容説明Described by the author as a key to the entire corpus of his work, The Commanding Self describes the mixture of primitive and conditioned responses, common to everyone, that inhibits and distorts human progress and understanding. This book is designed to offer a way to transcend the limits imposed by this "commanding self."While complete in itself as an anthology of hitherto unpublished work, the book serves to illustrate and amplify Idries Shah's preceding books on the Sufi Way. Based on tales, lectures, letters, and interviews, it offers both an introduction to Sufi thought and further study for those already acquainted with Shah's writings. ーーーーーーAmazonサイトより

内容説明Youngsters will soon catch on to the pattern of this rollicking, cumulative tale of a woman's efforts to retrieve an apple from a hole in the ground. They will enjoy learning the highly predictable lines by heart. But when a surprise event changes the direction of the tale, their expectations will be jolted in a most amusing way.Honors Winner, 1998 National Parenting Publications AwardsAges 3 - 8 ーーーーーーAmazonサイトより

From Publishers WeeklyCowen-Fletcher ( Mama Zooms ), who served in the Peace Corps in Benin, West Africa, offers an affecting interpretation of a Benin proverb, "It takes a village to raise a child." As a mother carries a tub of mangoes into the village to sell on market day, she asks her daughter Yemi to keep an eye on her younger brother, Kokou. The amiable girl readily agrees, and she proudly tells her mother's colleagues that she is old enough to watch him "All by myself." The women smile and nod, "but they knew better." Soon Yemi learns what they know so well: there are many watchful eyes on Kokou. When she turns her back to buy a bag of peanuts, Kokou wanders off. As a worried Yemi searches the marketplace for him, the illustrations--calm renderings in colored pencil with watercolor washes--show the boy being cared for by various vendors at the market. Reunited with Kokou, Yemi thanks each of them in turn. Cowen-Fletcher's simple narrative and quiet but detailed art provide a heartening portrait of a caring community, and an edifying glimpse of a culture unfamiliar to most American children. Ages 4-8. ーーーーーーAmazonサイトより

From Publishers WeeklyConvinced that he's "special," Crawford the raven is disgruntled with his ordinary appearance. After making several funny, futile attempts to change, the frustrated bird entreats a woman with magical powers to give him "some color, some flash, some razzle dazzle." Wilhelm (Bad, Bad Bunny Trouble) has her pull this off masterfully, as holographic gold foil and splashes of blazing color transform Crawford's plumage into a sparkling, kid-thrilling sight. After making an ill-fated attempt at hobnobbing with the royal family, the cocky creature is banished to a cage in the palace garden, where he grows increasingly despondent until finally realizing he must lose his unnatural grandeur in order to regain his freedom. Though the shimmering feathers are obvious scene-stealers, Wilhelm's bustling, double-page watercolor art glitters even where there is no gold. As an extra treat, Wilhelm hides a tiny ladybug on each spread. Ages 3-8. Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.

内容説明A humorous tale about a chicken who learns to speak as humans do. What follows will intrigue young children and, at the same time, alert them in a very amusing way to the dangers of being too gullible.The wonderful artwork by illustrator and animator Jeff Jackson expresses his unique ability to create a lively and amusing world, rich in color, and one in which anything can happen.Ages 3 - 8 ーーーーーーAmazonサイトより

内容説明Intended for ages 4-8, this funny and fun loving guide to misbehaving properly is perfect for introducing kids to manners. Topics include: How to Play with your Food, Family Trips and Riding in the Car and much more. Kids get the ideas and enlightened adults will see right through them to the warm-hearted sense underneath. ーーーーーーAmazonサイトより

内容説明This work is for ages 4-8. When a young boy organises a Halloween party, he doesn't realise that it is all of the uninvited guests who will cause him so much trouble. Ogres, witches, skeletons, and other horrors join his party, freely mingling with his costumed friends (who don't notice a thing!). However, when the uninvited guests begin to trash his home, the hero of the story lectures them and starts them to clean the mess they've made. But, can they clean the mess before his parents arrive? ーーーーーーAmazonサイトより

From Publishers WeeklyJudge Rabbit, a Cambodian folk hero, stars in this unique bilingual (English/Khmer) tale. When a woman's husband is called for military service, the jealous spirit of a banyan tree takes his human form. Believing this "man" is her husband, the wife is justifiably confused when her actual husband returns. The human husband enlists the help of Judge Rabbit, who produces a small bottle and declares that "only the true husband can fit inside this bottle." The tree spirit quickly enters the container and husband and wife are reunited. The story's universal appeal will be evident to readers even as they cheer Judge Rabbit's clever adjudication. Incorporating native flora and fauna, the bold, primitive paintings, though occasionally static, are vibrant counterpoints to the facing English text and blend the Khmer narrative into their striking design. Ages 6-12. Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc.

内容説明This title is suitable for ages 4-8. This story is about a snake whose fears of people are confirmed when a child holds him captive in a jar. Polisar writes humorously about the snake's capture and subsequent escape with a message about respect for other life forms.ーーーーーーAmazonサイトより

内容説明Now available in paperback, poet Juan Felipe Herrera's bilingual memoir paints a vivid picture of his migrant farmworker childhood. His rich, evocative prose re-creates the joy of eating under the open sky, celebrating at a fiesta with other farm families, and listening to his mother singing Mexican songs and his father calling the doves. ーーーーーーーAmazonサイトより

内容説明Tyrone the bully is up to his old tricks again, but now he's got a gang and is terrorizing the neighbourhood. Boland and his friends aren't scared - well, not much, anyway. Soon it is up to brave Boland to save the day and prove that Tyrone is not as tough as he pretends to be. ーーーーーー amazonサイトより

From Publishers WeeklyWilhelm uses dinosaurs to explicate his very modern tale about a young dinosaur named Boland who finally outsmarts the bully that had terrorized the swamp. Boland seems to be the special target of Tyrone the Horrible; day after day, he is victimized. He tries to avoid trouble, tries pleasing Tyrone, tries fighting back, but nothing works. Finally, Boland laces a sandwich with red pepper and gets a wonderfully satisfying reaction when Tyrone gobbles it up! Preschool and early elementary youngsters will certainly identify with Boland's problem. Wilhelm's arresting, attractive watercolors fill the pages. Knowledgeable dinosaur fans may have a quibble: Tyrone is clearly a tyrannosaurus (and therefore carnivorous), yet he is shown as a plant eater. But as a story of a bully about to meet his match, this one will have joyful appeal for kids. Ages 6-8. Copyright 1988 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Publishers WeeklyStunning primitivist paintings make a graceful transition from the ceramic tiles on which they originally appeared to this memorable debut book by an artist and storyteller born and raised in West Africa. Featuring bold, black-and-white animal characters set against earth-toned backgrounds and framed by patterned borders, the paintings give a distinctive spin to this folktale about a contest of wits between a hunter and a crocodile. Donso agrees to return Bamba and family to their river home if the crocodile clan promises not to bite him. Yet once there, the crafty creatures decide they're too hungry to let the hunter go. One by one, animal passers-by refuse to rescue Donso, explaining how Man has exploited their species, taking much from them and giving back nothing. A clever compromise brings the narrative to a satisfying close. With its many animal voices, occasional onomatopoeia and clearly delivered message about the importance of respecting nature, this is a natural choice for a read-aloud, likely to entertain as it teaches. Ages 4-7.